Legacy network systems, such as ones based on Frame Relay or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), may communicate with packet switched networks (PSN), such as an Internet Protocol (IP) switching network or a Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, which provide pseudowire emulation (PWE). PWE and associated pseudowires may be managed and controlled by establishing and using control channels for the pseudowires.
However, each control channel may only serve specific functions for which it is established. To apply different types of control functions, the pseudowires may need to be re-established, which, in turn, can lead to downtime and increased operational cost of PWE-based services.